Celestia
“Patchwork!” I raised my voice causing the napping changeling hybrid to jump awake.
“What-where-how!?” He stumbled, falling off of the pillow he was napping on and landing on his back. “Ow.”
“You know, my dear,” I ignited my horn moving the pillow to the side, lifting Patch up and setting him back on his legs, “most ponies would sell their lives off just to even glimpse the studies I am giving you for free.” I smiled at him shaking his head awake.
“But all this study to be a prince is just so boring,” He whined along with a stomping hoof for good measure.
“Maybe so, but it is necessary for your future.” I tutted, lifting, and sorting out the parchments I used for today’s study which was delegation.
“Why does all the ‘necessary’ stuff have to be so boring,” Patch muttered with distaste picking up his own notes and rolling them up. “Can we take a break, please?” He asked whilst opening his jaw in a powerful yawn.
Thinking for a moment I nodded my head when he looked at me and I laughed out loud when he clopped his hooves with joy hopping in place on his hind legs. He then dashed out of my personal study slamming the door open and startling the guards.
Shaking my head, I started putting away the scrolls I used into the various drawers and shelves occupying the walls of my study as well as closing the door with another burst of magic.
I stood up from my own pillow and, after stretching my legs, I approached my desk.
My eyes landed on White Light’s report on Patchwork’s new body and I picked it up with my magic giving it another quick look.
All in all, Patchwork was now stronger, faster, and more durable than before, now being able to physically compete with pegasi and earth ponies for both speed and endurance, respectively. His strength is still lacking compared to trained earth ponies.
His magical abilities are still surprisingly limited but I am assuming that it has something to do with his constant practice of shapeshifting. I never approached him about his ‘secret’ practice even though the reports about the creatures he has transformed into are…worrying. Most of his transformations could barely even be described as anything other than terrifying by the thestrals or even exceedingly dangerous, however, beyond pushing his abilities he has done nothing to warrant suspicion. I trust him, and to the thestrals that will have to be enough.
It has been a week and a half since he ascended and other than an occasional complaint about not being able to do enough for the changelings Patch has been compliant with my request for patience. He has been a bit more argumentative lately though. I will have to tell him about the plan soon, lest he decides to do something impulsive.
Picking up the last reports from the changeling border I skimmed through them reaffirming my suspicions from the last time I read them yesterday: something bad is happening in the changeling empire.
Changelings have been leaving the Badlands in groups, some even approaching my guards and requesting temporary asylum. The group that approached us refused to elaborate more when questioned beyond saying that staying near the queen has become too dangerous for them. Their group wasn’t large by any means, but even the fact that they are approaching us is shocking, to say the least.
I have requested Dicty to organize the escapees and a small cave system near the recently formed Dodge Junction has been made available for the small group of twenty.
My ears twitched as the door opened and I smelled chocolate.
“I got us donuts,” Patch announced, carrying a platter of donuts in his magic. He approached the desk and placed them on an empty spot. “What are you reading?”
“Latest reports from the Badlands region,” I answered grabbing a donut in my magic and taking a bite.
“Anything I can read?” Came the question.
Raising my head, I looked at Patchwork.
He was chewing his own donut at a respectable distance from my desk, a distance I never asked him to keep. He has been very vocal about not being a good, or willing leader for the changelings, and staying away from my paperwork meant that his opinion on the matter did not change.
Him asking to see the reports regardless, while commendable indicated to me that he was still conflicted about his current situation.
‘Not ready yet,’ I concluded.
“While there are some things I would like to hear your input on, I think you need a few more lessons before that,” I took another bite of the donut, noting that though his face was expressionless he still nodded in affirmative.
“Celestia?” He broke the short silence.
“Yes?”
“Can you teach me how to fight?” His voice was meek, but it did not waver.
“Yes, I can.”
Spine
I slammed my forehooves on the resin desk with as much force I could muster, causing the desk to crack and spill some of its contents all over the floor.
‘Another group left, and another couple of guards have reported for hatred poisoning,’ I growled, ‘And she does not care at all!’
Carrion has also been behaving strangely, speaking in riddles, and walking the halls muttering to himself. He has also been avoiding the Queen and his work as much as he could so much so that I was barely able to speak a few words with him. His daily reports are still regular and without any hidden messages.
I have managed to cut down on the poisoning issues by instructing anyling visiting the castle to not feed while on premises as the entire rooms have become thick with hatred. We even removed any love stored in the castle just in case, even though the Queen has been avoiding our love stores thankfully. I don’t know if it’s out of the mercy or if she just forgot about those at this point. She certainly hasn’t used them to eat.
There is another thing that has caused me some headaches; the Queen hasn’t eaten anything for over a week. She usually gets a hefty dose of pure love delivered to her quarters but lately any delivery was met with a firmly locked door. The preservation spells have been cast on the deliveries so they don’t spoil from the hatred, but, well, she just didn’t eat. And I’m not sure what she has been sustaining herself on as I haven’t spotted any new holes on her body. Her chitin has been radiating some unnatural-looking energies though.
Shaking my head, I started picking up all the loose parchments and quills that fell off the desk.
Her latest orders haven’t changed over the last few weeks: look for the traitor and find Mantis. If we do find the two though, given her state I am sure that their days would be numbered.
I still haven’t had any luck with capturing the ponies that have been making regular deliveries of love. The area the deliveries are made is cleared of any hiding places and it’s just outside the influence of the throne’s effect. Although, even if I do catch them I would probably just leave them be, if it weren’t for them our situation would have been far direr.
‘How do they even have so much love to give?’ I wondered as I put the last quill back on the desk. ‘How many lings are helping them?’
Sighing I ignited my horn and opened a hole in the wall interrupting a guard that looked like he was going to knock.
“Report.” I moved over behind the desk as the guard saluted me. I was going to go for a walk, but I guess not.
“Sir another delivery has been made, and… there was a message left for you.” The guard approached the desk and extended a hoof with a scroll held firmly in it.
I picked up the scroll and unfurled it using my magic, signaling to the guard with my hoof that he is free to go.
The message was written in infiltrator code and it took me a few minutes to decode it.
~Spine, I am sending you this message to let you know that I am fine. I also wish to warn you. Chrysalis is compromised. She is possessed by a monster that has no love or care for us. If you do not believe me here are the instructions on how to reach Chrysalis’s diary in the main vault. Mantis ~
I read and then re-read the message; only then did I notice some more written at the bottom.
~P.S. Also, there is a plan being worked on to hopefully fix our situation, the ponies will help. Keep Chrysalis busy. ~
I blinked twice and then re-re-read the message thinking that I must be on some hallucinogens as this made no sense. Mantis either betrayed us or…
Rolling up the scroll after memorizing its contents I incinerated it and walked out of my office. Let’s see if Mantis I just a traitor, or if I’ll need a really strong drink.
Chrysalis?
Walking through my own mindscape I made sure that the protections against my captor held and that there are no gaps in them through which she could finish the job and remove me.
At the same time, I was keeping an ‘eye’ on what was going on outside. She was checking out the throne making sure that the enchantments are still holding strong.
Dropping what I was doing I focused my will on subtly infusing her magic. I have been doing this for years whenever she isn’t paying attention. I quietly cheered to myself when I managed to cause another chip to the throne itself.
Thirty-two chips and counting at various places that would, if proper pressure is applied, cause the entire throne to fall in on itself. It would break the enchantments and give someling a chance to expose Chrysalis and the changelings to the world. Many of my children would be placed in danger as well, but this is the only thing I was able to do over the centuries.
After that, I returned back to the safety of my own private bubble and continued my safety patrol.
I was worried about Spine and Carrion. They both have been looking worn out when I saw them last a few days ago. Especially Carrion.
I have seen him less and less, and when I do he always looks at my captor with enough venom that I am genuinely surprised she hasn’t noticed it yet. I am worried that he may try something foolish.
Spine on the other hoof has yet to show any signs that he knows what is going on.
“My Queen?” I heard Spine’s voice coming from behind.
She, however, hasn’t reacted, opting to circle the throne inspecting every single angle.
“Queen Chrysalis?” Spine tried again and I spotted him out of the corner of her eyes. She hasn’t even acknowledged him.
Hearing him sigh I forced my head to tilt slightly to the side to keep him in my vision as much as possible. She was so distracted that she hasn’t even noticed that I took some control.
“My Queen, I request permission to enter the main vault,” My hopes soared and I immediately tried to exert some more control without her spotting me.
It took a few minutes, but I finally managed to get the mouth to move.
“Permission granted, my child,” She was so lost in her own little world that not even speaking got her attention.
Spine looked at me weirdly for a few moments without so much as moving a muscle. I could see the wheels turning in his head from his facial expressions.
Suddenly he frowned and nodded his head, turning around and leaving without saying a word.
I clopped my own hooves in my excitement skipping in place with hopes of having one more of my children being made aware of what happened.
I was so lost in my own joy at something finally happening that I failed to notice an attack at my own mind space that, while short, was extremely vicious. I scrambled to patch up the holes and strengthen the barrier at key places trying to make sure she doesn’t manage to breach it. Or take some more of my memories.
After several minutes of patching things up, a voice broke through my concentration.
“We found the traitor, my Queen.”
She immediately stopped and raised her head, perking her ears.
I felt my metaphorical stomach drop.